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how can you stop cat licking ointment off it's back  email this discussion to a friend?

myLot reputation of 98/100. katsalot1 (930)   ranked 212 out of 1,571 in animals 4 years ago

I've just brought my cat back from the vets, he has an abcess on his back which has to have ointment put on it. The vet said I have to stop the cat licking this, and he gave me a collar to put on. It's one of those clear plastic Elizabethan collars, but the cat can't do anything in it - it's driving him nuts. I've now put the collar on the other way round for now - so that the wide bit is towards his back, but it would be handy to know if anyone has any ideas about another way to stop him licking.

 

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JoyfulOne (5049) response was accepted on 3/10/2009.
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tags:  cats, collars, licking
 
1. myLot reputation of 79/100. baileycows (3432)   ranked 512 out of 1,571 in animals   4 years ago

yeah those do seem annoying, but he will feel better once he is heeled. You have to think of it like your kid sometimes we have to do things to keep them from hurting themselves or make them well that they don't like.

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2. myLot reputation of 98/100. JoyfulOne (5049)   ranked 89 out of 1,571 in animals   4 years ago

Animals do the licking thing because that's how they respond to their hurts, I guess it makes it feel better. I know it's awfully hard to keep them from licking when they're obsessed with doing just that!! I know those collars bother them too. Maybe a hint from what I used on my dog to stop the persistant licking....

What I did was to take a small childs tee-shirt and put it over the head, and their front legs through the arms. Then I used one of those baby safety pins and pinned it together on each side of the back legs so they could still do their daily 'do' lol (Adding the safety pins at the hind legs made kind of a leg opening, and a butt opening. Think of it like a babies onesie with the trap door open) I had great success with doing this on my dog, who absolutely went nutz with the elizabethan collar thing. Once she couldn't lick through the material, she healed up quick, and her ointment stayed on. Hope this might help you with your kitty. I know it's hard finding a small tee shirt...(maybe a newborn onesie?)


myLot reputation of 98/100. katsalot1 (930)   ranked 212 out of 1,571 in animals  4 years ago

Thanks for that tip. He's not licking at the moment, so I'm having a break from stopping him, but I'm worried about when I go to bed. The T-shirt idea is good, but I think I would have to have one that just went around his middle, cats are more flexible than dogs, and it would have to be a very tight shirt for him not to get his legs caught up.

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3. myLot reputation of 92/100. minx267 (2893)   ranked 243 out of 1,571 in animals   4 years ago

Unfortunately the only way to stop it is the Elizabethan collar. I know it seems cruel and they can't do a darn thing and bump into stuff with it. but it is for their own good and it will heal faster and once it starts healing it wont itch and bother them as much and they will forget about and you can take the thing off- I would do it supervised at first. I have had to cut them down a little sometimes depending on the size of the cat. And I have had to change feeding bowls so that they can fit the thing over their bowl to eat and drink. It is a bit of an inconvenience but it does work in the long run.. Good luck.


myLot reputation of 98/100. katsalot1 (930)   ranked 212 out of 1,571 in animals  4 years ago

With the collar that the vet gave me, there is no way he could eat or drink, and getting it on and off needs at least two people - it's a really bad design. Last night I left the collar off, and he's not licking much today.

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4. myLot reputation of 71/100. roshangeorgev (401)   ranked 1,262 out of 1,571 in animals   3 years ago

it is very easy to stop your cat from licking ointment from its body.
just make a mixture of pepper and chilli powder,and make it a paste.apply this paste on the cat's body.once it licks,the cat will stop licking it,and will lick off the ointment.i think you have heard of a thought,'if a cat see cold water after falling in hot water,it will change the route.'.just joking. . .

i was just joking.it is the behavioural property of every mammals except human beings to lick their body.we cannot control them.since they are not as intelligent as human beings,they will continue doing that.it is better to avoid thinking about you cat licking its body.
if you go behind your cat,it will be like putting the dogs tail in a pvc pipe to straighten it.

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